|
Thank you for your
interest in joining the Goin’ Postal family! As a nationwide
network of proactive, positive, and enthusiastic entrepreneurs, we are on the path
to making our financial goals a reality, and we hope that you will join us
to share in our mutual success.
At any point during
reading this information you are welcome to contact us with any
questions you may have.
As part of our
Goin' Postal Shipping Store team, you will be given the knowledge that we have gained from
owning and operating our own shipping business, and listening to our
ever growing family of franchisees..
In this
information packet and in our FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document or
UFOC) which you
can
request by submitting the franchise inquiry form; the link appears at
the base of
this page), we will give you an idea of what
to expect. Those materials answer 99.5% of the questions that people
ask us about Goin' Postal. Obviously you may have additional
questions, and we are always happy to answer those in person or by
email or telephone.
Please do take the
time to read this particular page and the FDD before calling or
emailing with questions, so that we can dedicate the majority of our
time to answering questions that are not answered in these materials.
If you have questions about franchises or to request an FDD.
Goin’
Postal?
Founded by Marcus Price and M.J. Price in the third quarter of 2002,
Goin’ Postal quickly proved itself to be a favorite with its
customers, consistently drawing a steady base of loyal patrons away
from the competing shipping chains. The Price Family got its
start in the shipping business by owning and operating several very
successful online retail websites. Using all the knowledge
gained from the shipping and logistics end of running busy websites,
The Prices decided to offer their shipping and packing expertise
to the public. Within a matter of months, Goin’ Postal’s first
store was busy enough to warrant opening a second store in a prominent
location. After a year of working toward an efficient and streamlined
shipping
and packaging business, the founders of Goin’ Postal started working
on the idea of franchising the company. Within a few weeks of
offering franchise opportunities, the company had sold its first
franchise. By the time the first franchise was ready to open,
the company already had a line of people ready to open their own Goin'
Postal stores. Goin' Postal easily reached its goal of 20 stores
by the end of 2004, and is rapidly approaching 300
stores in mid 2007. Goin’
Postal is becoming a force to be reckoned with in the shipping
industry. The cornerstones of Goin' Postal are
low, low prices and superior customer care. We think that is the
recipe for success...and our customers, our franchisees, and their
customers all agree!
What are
we working toward?
There are two types of shipping stores. Those independently
owned, and those that are part of a large franchise chain such as The
UPS Store, Pak Mail, PostNet or Goin' Postal. Both have their advantages,
and disadvantages. The advantage of being an independent
shipping store is the opportunity to run your business exactly as you
please. On the opposite side of this is
the
fact that no one will help when you have a problem. You won’t
have the benefit of an easily recognizable and trusted
name. While
the big chains are very strict about
how the business looks and runs, they benefit from the increased
buying power of a large company for things like supplies and even
health insurance. Being part of a large chain usually comes with
a hefty price tag, sometimes in the hundreds of thousands of dollars
just to get into business. Goin’ Postal offers the benefits of
being part of a large future chain without that whopping great price
tag, and with some flexibility as to how you will run your
own business.
This is why we
are building our own chain of independently owned franchise
stores.
In a nutshell, you
can have the best of both worlds with a Goin’ Postal store.
We
can adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace while using the
growing number of stores to build awareness and name recognition for
our
brand. By opening a Goin’ Postal store, for a relatively small
investment, you can get the help you need to get started, and you can
own and operate your
own store as your own business.
We support our
franchisees, offer free training (included in the price of the
franchise fee), free continuing education, free telephone and email
support, free networking assistance, free advertising and PR
assistance, and much, much more. Unlike those of our competitors
who are primarily interested in selling
franchises (for a whopping great price tag...some as big as 5 times the
cost of a Goin' Postal franchise!) to make their money and then leave
you "on your own" for problem solving and continuing education, we at
Goin' Postal are more interested in assuring the success of our
individual franchisees, and in building a strong chain of very, very
happy Goin' Postal store owners and
customers.
Here are a couple of
articles written by our franchisees on an independent website.
Article 1,
Article 2
What is a
Franchise?
In opening a Goin’ Postal store, you are an independent franchisee.
You will incorporate your business under your
own
name, and will be doing business as Goin’ Postal, in just the same way
as owning a McDonalds restaurant or a Curves Fitness gym. The parent
company will help you set up your new franchised store. Once
your store is open you will benefit from the growing public awareness
of The Goin’ Postal Name. In addition, we will always be there
for you when
you have a problem. Also, as part of our chain you will be able
to take advantage of our increased buying power as we negotiate better
deals with vendors for everything from shipping to health insurance.
In general, a franchise is a grant to use our Goin' Postal name to
operate a packing and shipping store in a specific territory, and to
use our GPFC tried-and-true trade secrets, methods, proprietary
manuals and software, and other materials to operate that Goin' Postal
store, and to benefit from our experience, business acumen,
negotiations and advancements with vendors and carriers, continued
technical support, assistance, and advisement for the term of your
contract with us. The benefits of owning a franchise are
essentially that you get to use a trade name, have a fairly
standardized store appearance, receive standardized training, enjoy
ongoing support, experience a reduced risk of failure (as opposed to
figuring it out on your own and "winging it"), use a pre-tested
standardized methodology to run your business, and other perks.
Request
an FDD
Read a couple of testimonials...
What is the FDD?
The FDD is the Franchise Disclosure Document and it is the new
name for the old UFOC or Uniform Franchise Offering Circular. This is
the legal disclosure document that tells you everything you need to
know that is material to the business you are about to buy. It
also includes the Franchise Agreement that franchisees sign and send in with their franchise fee in order to become a Goin' Postal
franchisee. The Federal Trade Commission mandates that all
franchises provide this document in an approved format at least 10
business days prior to entering into any contract with or receiving
any payment from a franchisee.
Why is Goin' Postal
the only company to provide the FDD on its website?
The biggest reason is economy. To print and mail out an FDD to
everyone who requests one, at our current size, Goin' Postal Franchise
Corporation would have to collect an additional $400 per year from
EACH of our franchisees just to cover the costs. We don't think
that would be fair to our franchises, so instead of
spending huge amounts of money and killing hundreds of trees printing FDD's, and paying the Post Office $8 apiece to mail them, we put it
right on the website where you can access it immediately, read it
online, and then print it yourself for mailing in.
Also, most companies
want to get you on the phone before giving you any information so they
have more chance of making a sale. We prefer to give you all the
information and to let you make a decision and be comfortable before
making phone contact. We always have a lot of new franchisees
joining the chain, so we don't find it necessary to pressure anyone
into buying a franchise with a "hard sell" approach. Choosing a
franchisor is very personal and the choice has to be right for YOU,
not made by some salesman.
What if I don't
want to print it out?
Running a small business is a lot of work, and you will invest a lot
of money into it. We find that if someone doesn't want to spend
a few dollars to print out the FDD, there is no-way they will invest
tens of thousands of dollars and the effort required building a
successful business.
If you do decide to
come and visit us prior to purchasing a franchise, we will email you
an FDD before your visit, and will be happy to provide you with a printed copy while
you are here as at that point you have already made an investment of
both time and in travel expenses to come and see us so we know you're
serious.
Do I send you anything right now?
Yes, if you request an FDD
by using the "franchise inquiry form" (link below) then you must sign,
date, and initial all 7 blanks on the Receipt Pages which is the very
last page of the document); immediately
upon receiving the FDD, and send only that one page to us via
mail at 4941 4th Street in Zep hyrhills, FL 33542 or fax it to us at
(813) 782-1599. This is not a commitment to purchase a
franchise, this is just a step that aids us in complying with FTC
regulations. Detailed instructions appear on pages 123,124, and
125. The FTC mandates a minimum-10-business-day waiting
period (this excludes Saturdays and Sundays) before you can send back the rest of the pages of the
FDD and your payment for a Goin' Postal franchise, and your waiting
period begins from the date that you put on the "Receipt" pages.
We keep all of the "Receipt" pages received on file for a number of
months. (If you decide not to join The Goin' Postal Family, we
will simply discard your particular "Receipt" page after a number of
months.) It is important to understand that the
10-business-day-minimum waiting period does not mean that you have to
make a decision after 10 business days. You are welcome to take
as long as you like to consider this important business decision.
If you request an FDD, then a helpful, detailed email
will accompany the FDD and will guide you through the next steps.
Can I send in the FDD and payment
right after I receive the FDD?
No. You must wait at least
10 business days before sending us the remainder of the pages of the
FDD (excluding the "Receipt" pages) and your payment. Take your
time and do your research before making your decision. The
10-business-day-minimum
waiting
period is an FTC regulation that is designed to protect people from
themselves, as many folks get jazzed about starting a business, and
jump into it before thinking it through. We strongly recommend
that you read all of
our materials, email or telephone some of our franchisees, and bring
the FDD
to
your accountant and your attorney
so that you can make an informed decision about your financial future.
We know that Goin' Postal is a great deal, and so do our
franchisees...but we want you to know it too!
What are Goin'
Postal's greatest assets?
The name.
With its mixture of humor and direct description of what we
do, it has become an invaluable asset to the expanding scope of our
business.
While 99% of people love the name...NO ONE EVER FORGETS IT!
Our
management, drive,
ambition and creative ability.
We are a dynamic team dedicated to
the success
of EVERY MEMBER of
our business family. Our drive is apparent just from looking at
the phenomenal growth of our chain compared to everyone else.
Our approach
to customer care.
We actually care about our customers, their families, and their mail
and packages. We strive to approach each customer as a cherished
friend and we provide all of our customers with
friendly service combined with professional skills and the lowest
rates, all in a polished corporate atmosphere. Our customer care
is superior to all others and we’re very, very proud of that.
Our
Flexibility.
We will give you a
lot of flexibility in how you run your store. Being in business
is meant to be fun, and it’s no fun to have a massive faceless
corporation breathing down
your neck every moment of
every day. Goin' Postal isn't like that, and never will be, no
matter how large we become.
The Opportunity
to Offer a Variety of Shipping Services. While we cannot
promise that you can offer each and every shipping service available
(as those companies are not controlled by Goin' Postal), we can
promise that we will aid you in becoming authorized to ship through
all the major carriers, and will do everything in our power to help
you to offer all of the services that you wish to offer in your store.
All of our stores offer the major carriers including FedEx, USPS
(U.S. Mail & Stamps), DHL, and freight carriers. All of our
franchisees have been able to offer all of the carrier services that
they wanted to offer. Our stores not only offer all the standard
larger carriers but also have the opportunity to use their local
carriers. For example, our Texas stores use Lone Star Overnight.
This also takes out the problems of carrier strikes and shutdowns for
one reason or another as it never means you are left without a
business if one carrier stops working for any reason.
A multitude of
other products
Our stores offer everything from shipping to ink & toner and document
services to office supplies. Most franchises only one of two of
the products and services that our stores have in their models as it
is easier to teach only a small part of what Goin' Postal teaches.
You get eBay chains, ink & toner chains, office product chains, and
shipping chains. Most franchises all come with a hefty price tag
for one or two services, but Goin' Postal includes all of these
services and more in one model, making for much more profitable
franchisees.
We actually test
our products and services! We are the only major chain
with a main company store where we test products and services before
they are released to our franchisees. We don't believe in
letting our franchisees be guinea pigs for our ideas so we test
everything before they ever see them.
Request
a Federal Disclosure Document & Franchise Agreement (FDD)
Read a couple of testimonials...
We are THE Fastest
Growing Shipping Store Franchise! Due to our customer
service and low set-up costs, we are the fastest growing shipping
store chain. Look at the other franchise chains like Postal
Annex and Pak Mail. Most of them have been in business for more
than 20 years and they only have a couple of hundred stores each. At the end of
2004 after less than a year of franchising we had 21 operating.
Less than half way into 2005 we had 70 stores open or in the process
of opening, and as of the middle of 2007 we approaching 300 stores open
or in
the process of opening. Every day we receive inquiries from
potential franchisees who have
been dealing with the other large franchise chains and these callers
have realized that Goin' Postal can give them great training, set-up
assistance and general assistance, and continuing education and
support... for a FRACTION of the average cost that the other chains
offer.
Why is Goin' Postal
the fastest growing shipping chain?
We have a business model that is more successful than our competitors,
yet we help our franchisees establish their stores for a small
fraction of the cost. If you take the investment required to
open one of the other franchises and compare it with ours, there is no
competition (and that is what is scaring our competitors....).
While there is no way to take a competitor like PostNet to a small town
because of the higher investment, our stores can open in
much smaller markets and still be highly profitable due to the low
overhead. With our business model we are able to open successful
stores in ten times as many markets as our competitors, and still
leave our franchisees with more profit in their pocket at the end of
the year.
We also strive to make
our franchisees happy and productive members of our chain. While
other large chains have major morale problems, we try to turn around
any issues very quickly to maintain a positive direction for the
company. A testament to our success is how our franchisees
get their families and friends involved in opening stores so they can
share their success. It is very important to us that our
franchisees are satisfied and so we work hard to avoid the problems
the other chains experience.
Also, unlike other
chains, we don't have an endless line of committees for you to go
through to get something done. Every franchisee has our direct
contact info and the cell phone of at least one of our management to
have a direct line to a solution.
The Proof is in the
results
Goin' Postal is the only franchisor that gets to boast that its
employees purchase stores AFTER they have worked for us for years.
Three of our key employees, after working for us for several years and
seeing the success of our stores and the amount of money they make,
have saved up enough money and have decided to open their own stores.
There is no better testimonial than that! We challenge our
competitors to show if any of their main employees believe in the
system enough to open stores of their own, with their own hard earned
money.
What makes Goin’ Postal
different from all the
other shipping store franchise chains?
-
Amazing customer
service (see above) .
-
Attention to
detail.
-
A family
business attitude.
-
Super name, logo
and product recognition.
-
As a small
organization, we can adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace.
-
As part of our
business building practices, we are constantly developing new
products and services that are only available through our direct retailing in
our stores and on our websites.
-
Innovative
services such as our mobile shipping stores. ( These are really
neat!)
-
Currently the
initial investment required to open a Goin’ Postal is approximately
25% of our competitors' shipping stores. Our business
model is designed to allow you to open a store with the minimum out
of pocket investment and to let the business pay for its own expansion.
-
Unlike the other large franchise operations, we are in
the shipping business, not just in the business of selling
franchises. Our goal is to own and run a chain of shipping
stores, not just sell the logo on the front of the building and take
a step back.
-
But most
important of all is the flexibility that you will enjoy with Goin'
Postal. Your store will be your store and you get
to run it in your own way, with a few common sense rules and guidelines from us.
-
Superb continuing
education materials, support, guidance, access to our creative
promotions staff, and assistance from the
entire caring, professional GPFC staff. You are NEVER "released into
the wild" and left to fend for yourself with Goin' Postal. We
are here for you, as your behind-the-scenes team to cheer you on and
to help you to succeed every step of the way for the duration of
your term as a Goin' Postal franchisee. Your success is our
success, and we take that success very seriously.
-
Our growth rate
is only accelerating. In 12 months we had over 60 franchises
open and lined up to open. With our low franchise fees and low
start-up costs there is no way any other organization in the
industry can compete with us on any level. We anticipated that
our growth rate would explode when we reached 100 stores, and we
were right. As of the start of 2008, we have 300+ stores in the chain, and
are still growing FAST.
-
Now we are achieving
major name recognition, why would anyone
pay around a quarter of a million
dollars or more f or
exactly the same
thing they can achieve that with approximately $40,000 total?
(That figure is an estimate that includes the franchise fee, Point
of Sale system, and then what you choose to spend on your build-out,
supplies, etc.) Goin' Postal is an exception to the rule of
"you get what you pay for," as we give you a top-notch education,
exceptional set-up and general assistance, and a plethora of FREE
continuing support and education. You get far more than you
pay for when you go with Goin' Postal!
How much will I
make?
Just like every other franchisor, we can’t project what your store
will do as every store is going to be different based on the location, the
initial investment, the economic conditions of the surrounding area,
the overhead, your management style, parking availability, square
footage and layout of your shop, your customer service
skills, and a wealth of other variables. To get a rough idea, you are
welcome to contact both Goin’ Postal and other shipping store owners to
ask them how they are doing and what is working for them. A good
idea is to visit franchise and
business re-sale sites on the internet and take a look at the
sales and profit figures listed for retail shipping businesses.
We
have recently consolidated out operation to include our main company
store in our financials. Ask for a copy of our latest audit or
review to see how our main company store did over the last quarter.
There is no guarantee that you store will perform the same for a
variety of reasons, some of which are listed above.
Can I get a
business plan?
Yes, but as the business plan contains sales projections and targets
we can only supply them to franchisees that have already signed a
franchise agreement and submitted a franchise fee. This is to
avoid the sales figures in the business plan influencing your decision
to become a Goin' Postal franchisee.
What kind of salary
should I pay myself?
At the beginning, none. It is more realistic to focus on making
your business successful than on taking money away from your brand new
business to pay yourself. This is why we like to see 6 months
worth of expenses in the bank before you start. If you are on a
shoestring budget and you need an $8,000 a month income to survive
from day one, maybe a start-up business isn't for you.
How
do I make money from shipping?
Good question!
For some carriers you will receive
discounts
based on your volume,
and for others you will get set rates dependant on what we have
negotiated.
The discounts received vary
depending on the service you are selling to the customer. For
example: Next Day Air and international services receive a far higher
discount than ground services (basically, the more profitable a
service is for the carrier, the higher the discount). Also,
please see the section below in reference to how GPFC allows each of
its franchisees to set his/her own mark-ups, and why.
Request
a Federal Disclosure Document & Franchise Agreement (FDD)
Read a couple of testimonials...
As well as the
discounts that you will receive, you will also mark up the rates, which
will increase the spread between your retail price and
discounted wholesale price, thereby increasing your profits even more.
In a deal with DHL our
stores will soon be able to sell USPS products and services cheaper
than at the Post Office.
Can you tell me how
much money I'll make on each box shipped from my store?
No. No one can tell you that simply because each and every
package will be different, and because that question cannot be
answered for even one package without knowing a wealth of factors,
just a few of which are: the carrier your customer chooses (FedEx, DHL, USPS, etc.), your discount tier, the speed of service
desired by the customer (various speeds have various discounts as
explained above), the amount of insurance desired by the customer, the
dimensions of the package (LxWxH), the weight of the package, the Zip
Code of origin, and the destination Zip Code. Also, GPFC
understands that every town and city is different, and thus GPFC
permits its franchisees to set their own mark-ups to reflect the
climates of their local marketplaces. For example, a store
in Los Angeles will most certainly charge rates that differ from those
charged in Oneonta, Alabama because these two markets are so vastly
different. The only guidelines that GPFC is extremely strict
about are that price gouging is never permitted, rates are always to
remain competitive within the local marketplace in question, and that
the GPFC mottos are to be remembered and lived by: "Remember that
every customer is someone's parent, grandparent or friend, and should
be cherished and treated like gold," and "It's okay to make an
honest living. It's NEVER okay to overcharge."
Do other franchises
get different discounts?
Yes.
Depending on their size and affiliation, some get a little more, most
get less, but as a Goin' Postal Franchisee you will always come out
ahead of those store owners since the Goin' Postal royalties are only
a flat $300 per month with no ad fund contribution. Franchisees
of some of the larger chains pay an average of $4,000 per month
in royalty and ad fund contributions for which they receive
less support then we provide for $300 per month! If you consider
our largest competitor who's franchisees get a few extra percent on
their WHOLESALE cost of their shipping, but then pay 8.5% royalties
and ad fund on their RETAIL sales of their shipping, who is getting a
better deal?
How much work
is involved?
Running your own business is the most rewarding career anyone can ever
have, but the 9-5 of a regular employee’s life will be a thing of your
past. For the first few years you will eat, sleep and dream your
business. You will work harder and for longer hours than you
could ever imagine, but you also enjoy the great pride that comes with
owning a successful business that you have cultivated. The more employees you have, the less you will have to do,
but obviously the less profit you will make at the end of the year.
What about setting
up my store?
Goin'
Postal also has a different approach to actually setting up your
store. While with the other chains you can easily spend over
$100k just constructing your store (not including anything else like
copiers, franchise fees or rent!), Goin' Postal will show you how
to do EXACTLY the same build out for around $5k! It's not
magic.... When the other large chains send in their own
contractors to set up your store and charge you $100k for it, the
chain may be getting a large "kickback" from the work and supplies.
We'll tell you what to do, you can paint the walls, build the
counters, install mailboxes, all with our advice (and even with our
help if it's not done when we get to your store), and thus we can save
you small fortune. Everyone has someone who can help them, whether
it's a brother in law who's a contractor, or a friend who knows how to
swing a hammer. Even if you do decide to hire a contractor,
shopping around locally can save you tens of thousands of dollars and
we will always help with consulting with your contractor of choice and
supplying plans.
We have recently
contracted with a professional store fixture design and installation
company to produce store-in-a-box setups that can be installed in as
little as a day. Even with this new service it is still far less
expensive than any of our competitors and can be installed in a matter of hours.
Turn-key store
option
We understand that a lot of potential franchisees don't have the time
to do everything necessary to establish a new store so we do have a
turn key option that allows you to just walk in and be handed the keys
to your new store and be ready to go. Our complete turnkey
system is only $117,000 and includes EVERYTHING even down to your rent
and utility deposits.
Visit our turn-key
information for more information on this service.
What does it
take to run a business?
It takes more commitment, energy, and passion to run your own business
than it does to work for someone else. There is no taking a day
off because you have a headache, or because you want to go to the
beach. It also takes a more adventurous personality and a
quick-thinking brand of intellect,
as no
matter how much you plan, you never really know what is going to
happen tomorrow with your business.
Starting
a business takes a lot of sacrifice that most people aren't willing to
make. If running a business were easy, everyone would have one.
Everyone will say, "I'd love to start my own business," but in reality,
only 10% of people ever take the plunge and do it.
Out of that 10%, only 10% will be successful. The numbers
alone demonstrate that only 1% of people really have what it takes. With
dedication, drive and realistic expectations, anybody can be part of
that exclusive 1%, but if you go
into business with the notion that you'll be driving big fancy cars in
6 months, moving into a palatial estate home soon, and relaxing on an island while your staff does all the work,
you'll be sadly disappointed. It takes years of hard work to
make it, and you have to be willing to struggle to make your life
better. If you can't take the stress of juggling bills every now
and then, you won't make it. If you think, "I'll never have to juggle bills because I
already have lots of money," you may not have the hunger to succeed,
or realistic plans,
and you still might not make it. And if you don't like to take
responsibility for things when they go wrong, then you definitely won't
make it. Running a business, and every problem that needs to be
dealt with in that business, is ultimately the responsibility of the owner. If you
want an easy life, the only answer is to work for someone else.
Most franchises will
NEVER tell you that you could fail using their system, it's just
buried somewhere in their FDD to remove liability, but they ALL want
you to think that their system is the only guaranteed way to make
money. The fact is, there is no guaranteed system. It
doesn't matter whose logo is on the front of your store, the business
ultimately succeeds or fails because of you. You have to stick
to the system. You have to put in the hours. You have to
do the work. Franchisors hide
their failures and problems from potential franchisees in a myriad of ways. We don't. We've had a few stores fail.
However, the failures were not a result of the system. The few
folks in our chain who make it went into business looking forward to
the private island and big cars, and were disappointed within 3 months and
simply gave
up, or had irresolvable partnership problems, or didn't stick to our
program in any way...and quite frankly, simply just didn't have what
it takes to be a business owner.
Before you start a
business, what you have to ask yourself is: "Am I willing to give my
business 100% of my effort for as long as it takes in order to make it a success?"
One of our first tests
for who we will approve as a franchisee is a person's attitude toward
this information and the FDD. If we have a potential franchisee
complain that there is too much information to read on the website, there's no
way that he/she is ready to commit 100% to running a
business. The same thing goes for the FDD / Franchise
Agreement. We email FDD's instead of printing and mailing them
which saves us approximately $70,000 a year, which in turn means that
we can keep our franchise fee and royalties low because we don't need
to charge our existing franchisees to help us cover what would be an
entirely unnecessary expense. If a potential franchisee doesn't
want to print out an FDD because of the $3.00 worth of ink and paper,
there's less than a 1% chance that he/she will invest the time and
money to open a store. Another test is when we actually receive
the FDD and Franchise Agreement with a check, and it's filled out
incorrectly and the person hasn't asked for help. If it's filled
out completely wrong, it means it was never read, and anyone willing
to sign a 200+-page document without reading it probably won't make it
in business.... You should always read contracts before you sign
them. We like nothing more than to get a contract that someone
has covered in highlights, as it shows that he or she looked over every aspect of
it and gave it careful consideration before sending it in. We
have someone on staff whose primary job is to walk new franchisees
through filling out the FDD and Franchise Agreement so that they fill
it out properly. All you have to do is call and ask for help
with it, and she will cheerfully walk you through it, step-by-step.
You are always welcome to call us and ask us about items in the
Franchise Agreement and we'll explain them to you.
We understand what it
takes and we know firsthand about the sacrifices you will make, as we
already made them ourselves years ago. Our chain is a bit different
then some of the others since the founders of the chain (now the CEO
and President of GPFC) aren't typical executive-types. They both
worked behind the counter in the first store, and built the chain
from scratch. When we started the first store, we traded our
nice car for a delivery van, cooked meals at home instead of eating
out all the time, and had internet access at work only instead of at
both our office and at home. We worked nights and weekends, and
we managed both time and money very, very carefully because that is
what it was going to take to become successful in our endeavors.
The business HAS to take precedence over fun (expensive) activities
until it is successful. We worked hard to make the first store a
profitable, self-sufficient enterprise, and we still oversee its
operation to this day. Everything we teach franchisees to do for
their stores, we do for the main company store and that is why it
continues to grow, every day, into its place among the most successful
shipping stores in the country. That's another reason why you
should consider Goin' Postal over the other chains. We have a
company-owned store that we run every day, just as if it were a
franchise. We test products, services, and marketing programs to make
sure they work BEFORE we recommend them to our franchisees for use in
their stores. Other chains don't have company stores, so you
have to wonder how, in good
conscience, they can
recommend that their franchisees use products, services and marketing
plans that haven't been tested in a company store. We test
everything first in the company store. If it doesn't work, our
franchisees never hear about it. If it's a money-maker, we roll
it out to the chain.
Your
personality vs. your business
One of the most
important personality traits is to be friendly. Running a small
business is all about making your customers feel special. Customer
service is why a person will visit your store, and will be happy about it.
If you pamper your customers, they will come to you, their caring
neighbor, and will prefer to pay you for services rather than giving their hard-earned dollars to one of the
larger faceless corporate stores like The Wal-Mart Business Center, or
Office Max.
Nothing makes a
customer feel more special than knowing his
name, being kind to him, and knowing at least a few details about his family.
Superior customer
service, a positive outlook, necessary skills, confidence, energy, drive, and a friendly
demeanor will be your best assets.
Request
a Federal Disclosure Document & Franchise Agreement (FDD)
Read a couple of testimonials...
Do I need to
know how to type or be good with computers?
The entire shipping industry is run by computers, so understanding
what "right click", "tab", "minimize", and other computer terms mean
are pretty much a must (or you should at least be willing to learn!), as is
typing ability. If you are not computer savvy, you may want to
at least take a computer class at a local community college or
purchase a typing tutorial program at Staples or another office supply
store. Generally, the faster you can type, the faster you can
process shipping labels, which equal money in your pocket.
(That's a great incentive to learn to type, right?!)
Do I need good
credit?
No, but it obviously helps. Borrowing money for equipment is
obviously easier if you have good credit.
As part of our commitment to your success, we will help in any way we
can. If you are looking to finance your business through a loan
you will definitely need good credit.
Can I get funding?
As it's a fairly small investment most franchisees never seek
traditional funding, but it can be arranged if necessary. Goin'
Postal Franchise Corporation is also testing a limited program
designed to help its franchisees with their initial franchise fee when
opening additional stores.
We have several
lenders willing to loan money to our new franchisees. One of the
more beneficial lenders will loan you the required startup capital as
a five year lease arrangement which makes your repayments completely
tax deductible!
We are one of the
major franchises approved for expedited loan processing by the SBA
(you can find our listing on
www.franchiseregistry.com/Registry/). Our main financing
partner can get you competitive rates with a quick turnaround. We also
work with another company that can help you to access your own 401k or IRA
for investing in your new business.
Do you have a business plan that I can use?
Yes. Our business plan is available to franchisees
that have already signed a franchise agreement and submitted a
franchise fee. We cannot provide it before you are franchisee as
it contains sales figures and will influence your decision to join our chain.
We want you to make that decision yourself and then be happily
surprised.
Accessing my IRA or 401k?
How does that work?
Our affiliate will set up your new corporation, and a new retirement
account within the new corporation, and then roll over your old
retirement account into the new account. Then your retirement
account purchases stock in the new company as an investment, just as
it would purchase stock in GE or Wal-Mart as an investment. The
money paid to purchase the stock from the new company is then
available to the new company for everything from your franchise fee to
buying equipment and paying rent. We aren't in the business of
helping people to access their 401Ks or IRAs, but if you have specific
questions about the necessary steps and the process, we can direct you
to financial professionals who can answer those questions for you.
Request
a Federal Disclosure Document & Franchise Agreement (FDD)
Read a couple of testimonials...
Credit Cards, etc.
Most people have several credit cards available to them which can also
be used for just about everything involved in opening your store.
Goin' Postal is the only franchise that has arranged to be able to
accept your franchise fee via credit card, and we can also charge your
Point of Sale System to your credit card. The only thing we
don't recommend using your credit card for is cash advances, as these
carry a much higher interest rate.
How much money
should I have set aside?
We recommend setting aside approximately 6 months' worth of BOTH living
expenses (this will vary according to your particular lifestyle,
family, region, etc. so we cannot offer a ballpark figure) AND 6
months' worth of operating expenses (again, this will vary due to your
particular area and your specific needs) combined. If you set
aside 6 month's worth of total expenses, then you can relax a bit and
can enjoy owning your own business rather than worrying about those
expenses.
When should I
open my store?
Obviously, in most parts of the country, Christmas is the busiest time
of the year for a shipping store, so the closer you open to Christmas,
the quicker you will potentially become busy. However, the earlier you
open in the year, the longer you will have to become established, to
advertise and to become involved in your community's events, and to
become
proficient with the software and in the business in general.
Generally most stores see a 3x to 4x increase in their average
business during the holiday season. With this in mind, obviously
the longer you are open and gaining new customers the better your
holiday season will be.
Seasonality of your location should also
be taken into consideration. For example, if your town is busy in the
summer months, you should consider opening a couple of months before
the season begins.
How long does
it take to open my store?
About a month to six weeks. From day one of obtaining permits and licenses, to you
being in business with your doors open, the entire process should take less than a
six weeks.
Your initial groundwork will be to find a location. As it takes
approximately 6 weeks to open your store, training will be booked on a
first come, first served basis as the deposits and contracts are
received at our headquarters.
Where should my
store be?
We will help with this based on your initial scouting of your chosen
business area. The benefit of a high traffic and high visibility
location must be traded off against high rent payments, unless you have
a
large amount of back-up cash available at the time of opening to carry
you through until the business becomes established.
Obviously, a
fantastic location is a marvelous way to start off, but the strain of
$5000 or more per month in rent could finish your business off before
it has a chance to become self-supporting. We want every
Goin' Postal franchisee whom we
help to be a success and we want your business to cause you as few sleepless nights as
possible!
You should also
consider parking availability, the types of other businesses around
prospective locations and if they would feed your shipping store or
detract from it (such as a seedy neighborhood wouldn’t
encourage foot traffic), and how close your prospective locations are
to competitors and to post offices.
We have several
location services available. You are free to find and choose
your own location, you can have us visit the location, or we can find
the location for you.
Request
a Federal Disclosure Document & Franchise Agreement (FDD)
Read a couple of testimonials...
What size and
type of building should I be looking for?
While you can open your store in approximately 600 square feet if that’s all
that is available, we have determined that approximately 900 to 1200
square feet is optimal. If you are planning on selling other services
such as office supplies, or plan to have a bank of computers for
public internet access, you will need to adjust the store size needed accordingly.
Through not
completely necessary, rear access is a positive aspect of any
building, especially if it has a loading dock, as this will make pick-ups and drop-offs by
DHL, FedEx and freight companies much easier and
in some cases, a lot cheaper.
Ample parking is
essential. No one wants to walk 500 yards to your store with an
armful of packages and this could make or break your business. We
have found having 5-6 parking spaces in front of the store, with one
being handicapped accessible, is quite sufficient.
Will you
negotiate my lease for me?
Definitely when you are using
our turn key system.
For franchisees establishing their own store we can still provide
professional help to find you a location and negotiate the lease, and
we are always happy to give you our opinion on your proposed lease but our
advice is to always consult a qualified real estate attorney in your
particular jurisdiction if you have questions or concerns about the
lease agreement that the landlord or property management company has
provided for you. Real estate law can be tricky and lease
agreements can vary greatly from a single page written between you and
the landlord, to 150 legal documents, thus it is always a good idea to consult a
qualified legal professional who is familiar with the standards and
practices in regard to such matters in your particular region.
GPFC does negotiate
leases through it's turn key package.
How much should
I anticipate spending to open my store?
Our current franchise fee is $15,000 and the cost of one POS is
$4,700. Your additional investment
will be around *$20,000 (for equipment, rent, etc.), making your entire investment approximately
$40,000. (*Amounts for rent and other expenses will vary from
region to region and may be higher or lower in YOUR particular area of
the country.) These numbers are based on actual results from
franchisees opening their stores by doing the work themselves.
By hiring a contractor it is possible to add another $40,000 to the
expenses, and that's why we recommend you do it yourself.....
The majority of
your investment can be financed either through loans or credit cards,
as most of it will go toward construction and equipment. Bear in mind,
however, when deciding whether to invest cash or to put expenses on a credit
card, that $20,000 on your credit cards will give you a hefty bill to
pay at the end of each month.
Obviously, if you
choose our turn key
store option you should be open on day 1 with exactly $117,000
invested in the location.
Can
my royalty structure change once I'm a franchisee?
No, when you become a franchisee, you are signing for your royalties
for the term that you own your store and the royalties that are
current in the Franchise Agreement you sign are what you will pay.
Do you tell me where to put my
store? No, we let you decide, as it's your business. You know your town better
than we do, but we are happy to help you choose between several
locations if you are in a quandary. Important details are: location,
square footage, rent, number of parking spaces, traffic access to
store and parking
(from both sides of the street versus one side of a divided highway,
etc.), presence or absence of a loading dock, is there both rear and
front entry to the store (rear entry is nice for your carriers, as
packages can come in the front with the customers and can be loaded
onto the carriers' trucks out the back), nearby businesses, building
condition, etc. When looking at traffic patterns don't just
evaluate how many cars go through a particular intersection. Sit
in the parking lot with a good book for several hours at different
times of the day on different days of the week and WATCH where the
customers are going. You don't want to select a plaza where
patrons park, go to one establishment and leave. You want to
select a spot where customers patronize a number of shops prior to
departing from the area.
We can assist you in finding a location if
you like, just like the other chains do, but we will do it
the same way they will. Our brokers will call a local broker and
see what they have and pick one of their locations. GPFC will
visit the location as part of our turnkey package, and can visit your
chosen location even if you are establishing the store yourself for an
additional fee.
Full location services are included in our turn-key package.
Request
a Federal Disclosure Document & Franchise Agreement (FDD)
Read a couple of testimonials...
How is the investment to have my Goin' Postal
store broken down?
$15,000 is the amount that you pay to Goin' Postal for training,
support and the license to use the Goin' Postal name and corporate
identity. In addition to that amount, you would also have to pay for
our representative's flights to and from your location (the rep.
assigned to you will always
try to fly on days and at times that will save you money, and will
always fly coach class for the same reason) and lodging during the week when
the rep. trains you and helps
you to prepare your store for serving the public.
$7,500 is the cost for two required pre-configured Point of Sale Systems (POS) from us.
The POS
replaces the old-fashioned cash register and comes with all the
software and hardware (receipt printer, credit card swipe, cash
drawer, customer pole display, etc.) needed to run
your entire operation, and is configured for your specific location.
The
remainder of your investment is not paid to Goin' Postal
and will vary
depending upon your needs (unless you purchase
the turn key option
in which case you make a single payment to us and we do everything). That is what we estimate that you can spend
on rent/lease/purchase of a location and equipment such as: peanuts,
hoppers, packing tables, shelving, product displays, merchandise to
sell, boxes, copiers, fax machines, laminating machines, etc. This
investment will vary from store to store depending upon your needs,
your budget and if you decide to lease, already own, borrow, or purchase used or
new equipment. For example: One of our potential franchisees already
owns his building and has nearly all of the required equipment except
for a
peanut hopper, peanuts and boxes, so he won't need to spend much at all
on equipment. Other franchisees may start from scratch and will spend
more on supplies, equipment, rent, etc. After we receive your
franchise fee (again, the franchise fee just $15,000) we give you a list of recommended and required equipment
and supplies. We do not fly to your location to buy you staples for
your stapler, boxes for your shelves, etc. It is your responsibility
to acquire the items on the list that we will provide for you PRIOR to
the representative arriving at your store. When our
representative is there he will spend as much time as possible
reviewing all of your training so it is important that the store be as
ready as possible when he arrives.
Again, the amount that you need to pay to Goin' Postal is only $15,000 for the
franchise fee and $4,700 for a Point of Sale system, plus our representative's expenses to fly to and from
your location and to stay there for one week while he does refresher training
with you, helps you to put finishing touches on your store, helps you
at your grand opening, and helps you to serve your customers.
How do your
investments compare to other stores?
Source: Entrepreneur.com (figures provided by each franchisor). We will try to keep
these numbers up to date but their prices may change without notice.
If you seen a figure that has changed please let us know and we will
get it updated. Our own figures are updated regularly to reflect
changing costs.
|
Total
Initial Investment |
|
|
|
Low |
High |
|
The UPS Store |
$153,950 |
$266,800 |
|
Pak Mail |
$117,200 |
$150,900 |
|
PostNet |
$175,900 |
$197,600 |
|
Postal Connections |
$131,000 |
$153,950 |
|
Goin’ Postal |
$40,680* |
$117,000 (Turn-Key) |
*Most of this can
be easily financed leaving your out of pocket expenses almost $0.
|
Franchise
Fees |
|
|
|
|
|
The UPS Store |
$29,950* |
|
Pak Mail |
$28,900* |
|
PostNet |
$28,900* |
|
Postal Connections |
$22,500* |
|
Goin’ Postal |
$15,000* |
*Subsequent store franchise fees may be
discounted by each individual company. Check their FDD for
details. The amounts shown in the total Initial investment table
above include the initial franchise fee.
|
Royalties
and Ad Fees |
|
|
|
Royalty |
Ad Fund |
|
The UPS Store |
5% |
3.5% |
|
Pak Mail |
3-5% |
2% |
|
PostNet |
4% |
2% |
|
Postal Connections |
4% |
0% |
|
Goin’ Postal |
$300 per month. |
0% |
Why do you charge a flat fee for your
royalties?
The general practice in the franchise business arena is to charge a
monthly royalty based on your gross sales, so the more successful the
franchised location is, the more money the parent franchisor makes.
We don't think this philosophy is fair, and just because everyone else
charges more than necessary, that doesn't make it the right thing to do.
This will be YOUR business. The
harder you work, the more money YOU should make. If you have
to pay a royalty that is based on a percentage of your sales, however,
that means that the harder YOU work, the more money the franchisor
makes, and we just don't agree with that at all. At Goin'
Postal, we have a hard time understanding how some retail shipping
franchisors can justify taking fifty or sixty thousand dollars per
year in royalties and ad fund contributions in order to provide the
same services for their franchisees that we provide for our
franchisees.
We know what it costs us to support an
established
franchisee each month, and we have set our $300 monthly royalty slightly
above this amount (after all, we ARE a business...).
By charging a flat rate royalty, we have also
streamlined the accounting process and have made substantial cost savings that can be
passed on to our franchisees. Now, instead of chasing franchisees who are late
in filing and paying their royalties each month (like most
franchisors do), Goin' Postal's flat rate royalty system is an
efficient automatic draf |